MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Carl Ashley will become Chief Judge of the First Judicial Administrative District, Wisconsin's court system announced Thursday. That district encompasses Milwaukee County.
According to a statement on Thursday, Ashley starts the new job on April 15.
This comes after current Milwaukee County Circuit Court Chief Judge Mary Triggiano decided she is resigning from the position.
Ashley was first elected to the bench in 1999, according to the statement. Ashley currently serves in family court, a position he has been elected to four times. He's also served in Misdemeanor, Felony, Family Court, Large Claims Civil, and Children's Court.
Before working as a judge, Ashley worked in private practice, as an administrative law judge and as a public defender.
Triggiano served on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court since 2004. She was elected First District Chief Judge in 2020. Triggiano now becomes the director of the Andrew Center for Restorative Justice at Marquette University Law School.
Judge Mary Triggiano joining Marquette, leaving hole in backlogged Milwaukee Co. Court
By Julia Marshall , Ubah Ali, November of 2022
Judge Mary Triggiano, the chief judge for Milwaukee County Circuit court, has been named the director of Marquette Law School's Andrew Center for Restorative Justice.
Triggiano will step down from the bench and start her new role on a date that's expected to be announced in 2023.
While good for Marquette, the already back-logged court system will be down yet another experienced judge. The court system in the past has brought in retired judges where they need them. TMJ4's Mary Jo Ola will be reporting on this story Wednesday evening.
“Mary’s commitment to trauma-informed care in the justice system and her advocacy to support victims and communities in healing from the effects of crime are impressive and transformational," said Marquette University President Michael Lovell. "She is a respected leader whose talents and personal values align precisely with the mission of the Andrew Center, continuing the Hon. Janine Geske’s work to foster restorative justice in our communities.”
Triggiano was appointed to serve as chief judge in February of 2020 by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. She has been responsible for the judicial administrative district and supervised personnel and fiscal management.
Triggiano will lead the Andrew Center for Restorative Justice, which was established in 2021 thanks to the support of a $5 million endowment gift from alumni Louis and Suzanne Bouquet Andrew. The center encompasses a number of approaches where judges and lawyers help support victims and communities during the healing process following crimes.
“Serving as a judge has been an extraordinary privilege, and I consider the opportunity to lead the new Andrew Center for Restorative Justice to be an incredible honor,” Triggiano said. “The mission of the Andrew Center presents a unique opportunity for me to use my passion for restorative justice to build upon the work of Justice Geske and to support the growth of this extraordinary program at Marquette Law School. I cannot think of another position for which I would be willing to leave the bench.”
Marquette said the center, "characteristically uses professionally guided civil dialogue, and its means for addressing conflict, promoting healing, and facilitating problem-solving can proceed in conjunction with, or apart from, the more formal processes associated with the traditional legal system."
In addition to criminal settings, there has been increasing interest in using restorative justice practices following conflicts in schools, communities, and organizations.
Triggiano's appointment comes about two weeks after Marquette University announced its appointment ofJudge Derek Mosleyto director of the law school's Lubar Center.
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